LARGS activist Ken Welch has managed to do what the music industry hasn"t done in a decade.

He has reunited Gallagher and Lyle, the local rock and pop stars who started out in showbusiness and Top of the Pops 40 years ago.

It was most apt that I bumped into Ken at the launch of Fairlie Parish Church 175th anniversary Timeline exhibition last week. He is about to open the new Heritage Centre at St Columba"s Parish Church in Largs on 27th March.

In acquiring and compiling the exhibits of photographs and records but he found that they were slightly light on objects. So he contacted "famous" folk like Sam Torrance, Daniella Nardini and Gallagher & Lyle for artefacts.

So interested were Benny and Graham that they arranged to meet Ken at the church recently...together.

It has been rare for the Largs musicians to be united since their famous duet broke up in the 80s when they undertook solo careers in the pop world.

However, Ken"s persuasive charms will see various Gallagher & Lyle memorabilia joining the ranks of Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane and Lord Kelvin.

If anyone would like to donate or lend items for display such as relating to church heritage or in particular, the two World Wars St Columba"s would be delighted to hear from you. Items such as medals or anything with an army connection which may not seem important to older people but would be of interest to the younger generation.

The only local celebrity who has not responded to Ken"s appeals so far is football legend Lou Macari who left the family cafe business to play for Celtic, Manchester United and Scotland.